After dropping the first two sets of last Tuesday's match against Endicott College by scores of 26-24 and 25-23, the Judges rallied back and won the next three sets 25-23, 25-14 and 15-13 to win the match and improve their record to 8-2 on the year.Outside hitter Paige Blasco '11 led all players in the match with 23 kills, while middle blocker Nicole Smith '11 contributed 15 kills to the effort.

Setters Abby Blasco '11 and Yael Einhorn '14 collectively had 49 of the team's assists, lending 34 and 15, respectively. Abby Blasco and Si-Si Hensley '14 each had 19 digs, while Paige Blasco contributed 18 for the match.

Smith was pleased with how the team was able to rally despite losing the first two sets by close margins.

"We were able to pull through and fight together for the win," Smith said. "We were capable of working through different rotations, trying new things, and eventually rallied to the victory because of it."

In the first set, the Judges jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead, but Endicott seized the momentum, gaining a l3-7 lead.

Brandeis attempted to make up ground with three consecutive points but ultimately could not keep pace with the Gulls, who then held to a 17-10 lead.

The Judges came back to make it 22-22, but they failed to execute on their momentum and ultimately lost the set.

In the next set, the Judges jumped out to an early 9-4 lead and set the tempo for most of the set as they approached the end of the set with a 20-14 lead.

Yet the Judges exhibited some fatigue and confusion as they allowed Endicott to initiate an 8-2 run, evening the set at 22-22. From there, the Gulls won the second set of the match.

In the third set, the Judges raced out to a 7-1 lead. Once again, the team failed to execute on a comfortable margin and quickly ceded to Endicott 9 out of the next 11 points.

This time around, the Judges set the tempo en route to a 20-14 lead they never relinquished, leading to a 25-23 victory.

Next, in the fourth set, things took a turn for the worse as the Gulls jumped out to an early 8-6 lead.

The Judges, however, then dominated by rolling off 8 consecutive points, which they then soundly won 25-14.

Finally establishing their rhythm, the Judges entered the tie-breaker set exuding plenty of confidence, which showed as Brandeis won eight of the first 11 points. Despite letting Endicott back into the tiebreaker, the Judges completed their comeback with a 15-13 win.

Coach Michelle Kim thought the team's resilency was especially evident against Endicott.

"Our five set win against Endicott speaks volumes for the team's will to win," Kim wrote in an e-mail to the Justice, "It's not easy to be down two sets and be able to make a come back like we did against them. It shows a lot of heart and desire to win."

The team plays today against Tufts University at 7 p.m., the No. 1-ranked team in New England. Kim thinks the game at Tufts will be a key game for the team.

"[Tufts will be] a tough challenge for us," Kim wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. "They are the top-ranked team in New England, but we will be using our adjusted line-up again, so it will be important for us to continue to work together as a team and work on being consistent in our play."

After the match against Tufts, the team continues play on Friday and Saturday, where it will participate in the Amherst Classic. Brandeis is set to face rivals Amherst College, Middlebury College, and the Coast Guard Academy.